Life That Shines

Philippians 2:1-30

Yesterday, we have looked at how God was sovereign and faithful over all situations.
Because he is faithful, we can be confident in our spiritual lives.
The one who began a good work in us will bring it onto completion.
So it is with our church as well.
God will use the True Light Community Church in the manner he desires.
God will accomplish what he has set out to do through us.
All we have to do is remain obedient to his calling, no matter what our situations or circumstances may be.
Even though Paul was in chains, and he desired to depart from this world, he wanted God to do whatever God desires.
God’s will mattered more than his desire.
For Paul, all that mattered was for God’s Gospel to advance forth.

After encouraging the church to trust in the faithfulness of God, Paul now urges Philippians to show that faithfulness of God to the world.
He tells the Philippian church to shine the light to the world.
How do we shine the light of Jesus?
We do so by imitating Jesus and following his example.

What is the example of Christ?
It is being humble and living in service to others.

Look at Verse 5.
It tells us to have the mind of Christ.
What is this mind of Christ?
vv. 6-8
Christ had every right and every reason to seek glory for himself.
He was God after all.
So he had right to grab onto equality with God.
But he chose not to seek after it.
Rather, he humbled himself and emptied himself.
He became like human, but not just any human.
He became a servant, and he died the most humiliating death known to men.

Why did Christ do this?
Christ did it because he loved us.
When you love something, you devote yourself to it.
If you love someone, you will continue to work until that person loves you back.
That’s what Christ did for us.
He worked and worked, even giving his own life, so that we can love him back.
You probably have heard this: “there is a hole in our hearts that only God can fill.”
But I heard one pastor said: “there is a hole in God’s heart that only you can fill.”
That’s how much God loves you.

And if we understand this love of Christ, we also must humble ourselves and serve others.
Look at vv. 1-4.
The key here is “if there is any.”
Notice that Paul does not say if you are full of encouragement or full of love or full of affection and sympathy.
He says if you have any of these things.
Even if it’s just a little bit, if you have any hint of it, then you must do this.
“Complete my joy…”

I wonder what the world will look like if Christians were to follow this example of Christ!
According to Brenning Manning, the greatest single cause of atheism is Christians.
They live hypocritical lives.
They say they love God and Jesus, but their lives are so far away from Jesus.
Rather thinking of my own successes or my own joys or my own advancements, if we were to really love one another and consider others better than ourselves…
The reason that there is so much fight and chaos and such in the churches today is because we are all so selfish.
What if our motives were so pure and we were really caring for others?
How would that world be different from the world we live in right now?
Rather than looking for our own glory, if we consider others better than ourselves…that’s the way God raises us up, as he did with Jesus.

So, therefore, Paul urges us to continue to work out our salvation (v. 12).
Now, this does not mean that we are not saved yet.
This is talking about a process of sanctification.
We need to be sanctified, becoming more like Jesus each and every day.
And as we are sanctified, we will reflect Christ to this world.

That is how you shine the light of Christ to this world.
By imitating him and following his examples.
You need to be like him, humbling yourself and serving the needs of others.
When someone is hungry, you need to feed him.
When someone is thirsty, give him something to drink.
When someone is naked, clothe him.

Be like Christ.
Have the fragrance of Christ resonate in you.

Have you ever had strawberry flavored milk?
Strawberry flavored milk does not have a strawberry flavor.
It has strawberry flavored milk flavor.
There something about it that does not make it a strawberry flavor.

Christians needs to have the flavor of Christ.
But rather, they have Christian flavor, not Christ flavor.
We need to be so like Jesus, that we reflect and smell like Christ.
(Illustration – Rodger’s grandmother and “Christian Friend”)

But you know who is doing this work of sanctification?
It is God…v. 13.
God is the one who saves and God is the one who sanctifies.
This is wonderful news, because it is not dependent upon me, but on God.
And as we have looked at yesterday, God will surely do it.

So ask God to come into your life and help you become more and more like Jesus.
I am reminded of the story in Mark 9, where a boy with unclean spirit is brought before Jesus.
His father asks Jesus to cleanse him if Jesus can do it.
Jesus says “If you can! All things are possible for one who believes.”
Then the father of the child said “I believe; help my unbelief.” Or “help me overcome unbelief.”

When we recognize our inability and that only God can overcome it, he will come to work in us.

May God work in the midst of us, so that we will be like Jesus.
And let us shine the light of Jesus to this world.